Guitar Tuning/Intonation In Early Recordings & Tuning/Intonation NOT-SO-MUCH ... Steve Hacker...
A few years ago, on my old Facebook profile, before it vanished, I had a discussion with several guitarists/musicians I had great respect for about guitar tuning/intonation in early recorded music, over the last several decades, or perhaps more appropriately, the LACK OF GOOD TUNING AND INTONATION in recorded music over the last few decades, and the apparent tendency, as music goes farther back in time, to be LESS INTONED or LESS IN-TUNE. In short, there are MANY recordings that come to mind from early rock-n-roll and pop that are UTTERLY, and HORRIBLY OUT OF TUNE. Now, I know that to some degree here, my picky-OCD nature is showing, but let's face it, some early guitar recordings are simply NOT AT ALL IN TUNE. In that discussion from a few years ago, no conclusions were ever drawn, and the conversation ran cold, but I'd ESPECIALLY like to hear from the guys who were cutting records in the 50s, 60s and 70s, or knew/worked with people who were, for added insight into the mindset in studios back then when these records were cut.
The short question is WHY? And I am asking you all for an actual discussion on this here because I actually do not have a good or, at least complete answer, but I suspect there are MANY factors. The first song that comes to mind as being HORRIFICALLY OUT OF TUNE, is Link Wray's "Rumble" from 1958 (see accompanying video in the comments), often called the original, or father-song of all power-chord rock. It was a MASSIVE HIT, and Link Wray was playing that song live nearly all the way until his death in 2005.
...So... Were guitars not as good back then and simply couldn't be tuned or intoned properly? OF COURSE NOT! We all know that vintage guitars are often the BEST. Were tuning devices, electronic tuners (e.g. the HIGHLY RESPECTED Conn Strobe Tuner that DID exist back then), forks, pipes, reference pianos, etc., inferior back then? NO! We know that is not true. There are classical recordings from early 20th century that are PERFECTLY in tune. HIGH QUALITY electronic tuners and other reference tools certainly existed back then. Was it a factor of simple and pure REBELLION and NON-CONFORMITY on the part of the rock-n-roll youth, as some speculated in my last (deleted) discussion on this? No doubt there was some of that, but I'm skeptical of that being a CONSCIOUS REASON for leaving guitars out of tune.
...And... What about production and engineering staff in studios back then? Were their ears inferior? Of course not. Human anatomy and ear/hearing structure has not changed. Did they JUST NOT CARE? I'm skeptical of this. So, where was the quality control for such releases? I know there was often a spirit of, "cut it and release it quick!", but I don't think that paints the whole picture (and there may not be a complete single answer), nor do I think we can parallel increasingly more modern recordings that are IN TUNE, as being a recent phenomenon of the "Auto-Tune Generation". Auto-Tune and similar are RECENT technologies, but ALL of the technologies needed to have IN-TUNE guitars (and all instruments, except maybe vocals, in recordings for that matter) EXISTED BACK THEN, AND WERE OF HIGH QUALITY in early decades, so, in short, WHY ARE SO MANY OLD RECORDINGS OUT OF TUNE?
... And I am not talking about pitch-drift from tape machine motors that, for example, might have been a little fast or slow, making a Beatles recording a little flat or sharp from standard tuning overall. Those anomalies are OBVIOUS, but I am talking about the tuning and intonation of individual instruments WITHIN A SINGLE SONG - within a SINGLE INSTRUMENT, and the apparent lack of care or notice of it. Was it INTENTIONAL? Clearly there are COUNTLESS EXCEPTIONS with GREAT tunings in early recordings, but what about the countless Link Wray "Rumbles" of the world? I value your thoughts and discussions on this. This is FASCINATING!
Please speak your mind! And THANKS! READY! SET! GO! :) :) :)
http://youtu.be/ucTg6rZJCu4
A few years ago, on my old Facebook profile, before it vanished, I had a discussion with several guitarists/musicians I had great respect for about guitar tuning/intonation in early recorded music, over the last several decades, or perhaps more appropriately, the LACK OF GOOD TUNING AND INTONATION in recorded music over the last few decades, and the apparent tendency, as music goes farther back in time, to be LESS INTONED or LESS IN-TUNE. In short, there are MANY recordings that come to mind from early rock-n-roll and pop that are UTTERLY, and HORRIBLY OUT OF TUNE. Now, I know that to some degree here, my picky-OCD nature is showing, but let's face it, some early guitar recordings are simply NOT AT ALL IN TUNE. In that discussion from a few years ago, no conclusions were ever drawn, and the conversation ran cold, but I'd ESPECIALLY like to hear from the guys who were cutting records in the 50s, 60s and 70s, or knew/worked with people who were, for added insight into the mindset in studios back then when these records were cut.
The short question is WHY? And I am asking you all for an actual discussion on this here because I actually do not have a good or, at least complete answer, but I suspect there are MANY factors. The first song that comes to mind as being HORRIFICALLY OUT OF TUNE, is Link Wray's "Rumble" from 1958 (see accompanying video in the comments), often called the original, or father-song of all power-chord rock. It was a MASSIVE HIT, and Link Wray was playing that song live nearly all the way until his death in 2005.
...So... Were guitars not as good back then and simply couldn't be tuned or intoned properly? OF COURSE NOT! We all know that vintage guitars are often the BEST. Were tuning devices, electronic tuners (e.g. the HIGHLY RESPECTED Conn Strobe Tuner that DID exist back then), forks, pipes, reference pianos, etc., inferior back then? NO! We know that is not true. There are classical recordings from early 20th century that are PERFECTLY in tune. HIGH QUALITY electronic tuners and other reference tools certainly existed back then. Was it a factor of simple and pure REBELLION and NON-CONFORMITY on the part of the rock-n-roll youth, as some speculated in my last (deleted) discussion on this? No doubt there was some of that, but I'm skeptical of that being a CONSCIOUS REASON for leaving guitars out of tune.
...And... What about production and engineering staff in studios back then? Were their ears inferior? Of course not. Human anatomy and ear/hearing structure has not changed. Did they JUST NOT CARE? I'm skeptical of this. So, where was the quality control for such releases? I know there was often a spirit of, "cut it and release it quick!", but I don't think that paints the whole picture (and there may not be a complete single answer), nor do I think we can parallel increasingly more modern recordings that are IN TUNE, as being a recent phenomenon of the "Auto-Tune Generation". Auto-Tune and similar are RECENT technologies, but ALL of the technologies needed to have IN-TUNE guitars (and all instruments, except maybe vocals, in recordings for that matter) EXISTED BACK THEN, AND WERE OF HIGH QUALITY in early decades, so, in short, WHY ARE SO MANY OLD RECORDINGS OUT OF TUNE?
... And I am not talking about pitch-drift from tape machine motors that, for example, might have been a little fast or slow, making a Beatles recording a little flat or sharp from standard tuning overall. Those anomalies are OBVIOUS, but I am talking about the tuning and intonation of individual instruments WITHIN A SINGLE SONG - within a SINGLE INSTRUMENT, and the apparent lack of care or notice of it. Was it INTENTIONAL? Clearly there are COUNTLESS EXCEPTIONS with GREAT tunings in early recordings, but what about the countless Link Wray "Rumbles" of the world? I value your thoughts and discussions on this. This is FASCINATING!
Please speak your mind! And THANKS! READY! SET! GO! :) :) :)
http://youtu.be/ucTg6rZJCu4